Independent Living Program - Florida's Center for Child Welfare

Americans, authors Long, Gillette, Kills in Sight, and Iron Cloud-Konen drew on their practice wisdom, community connections andextensive experience with American Indian youth in transition.Both supplements are designed to help improve the life skills of youth and young adults in American Indian communities. TheAmerican Indian Guidebook Supplement taps items from the American Indian Assessment Supplement that were generated by its cocreatorsin collaboration with the elders, community members, parents, extended family members, and youth of several AmericanIndian communities in the Great Plains of the United States.The supplements are based on a strengths-based framework of ethnic identity formation in a society of multiple cultures. Thisframework underscores the unique journey children of color take, as compared with their Euro-American counterparts transitioninginto adulthood. The American Indian Assessment Supplement underwent extensive reviews by national experts in the fields of Indianchild development, child welfare, and identity formation for youth of color. In addition, American Indian youth and alumni of fostercare and representatives of numerous American Indian communities outside of the Great Plains reviewed the supplement. While someminor revisions in the actual language of items occurred as a result of the review process, no item was removed because of thisreview. In fact, representatives of several non-Great Plains tribes remarked that this supplement appeared very appropriate for theircommunities. No item was included on a supplement if a reviewer objected to it on the basis of any cross-cultural or diversity concern.The American Indian Guidebook Supplement and American Indian Assessment Supplement are designed to address the uniquecultural needs of American Indians in maintaining their cultural identity while bridging two worlds. Both include the skill areas ofresources/trust, money values, religious/spiritual beliefs, tribal affiliation, family/community values, and living in two worlds. Lowcost and free curricula resources were identified in addition to incorporating appropriate resources from the Guidebook.Life Skills Guidebook 13©2004 by Casey Family Programs.